Blessing’s late goal helps Dynamo tie Atlanta 2-2

ATLANTA — Latif Blessing scored in the 89th minute to help the Houston Dynamo tie Atlanta United 2-2 on Saturday night.

Coco Carrasquilla slotted an entry – while Amine Bassi occupied a defender – to Blessing in the left corner of the penalty area for the finish to cap the scoring.

Griffin Dorsey volleyed a Héctor Herrera corner, which ricocheted off the crossbar to Franco Escobar in the right corner of the box for a header that gave Houston a 1-0 lead at the fifth minute. Escobar, a 29-year-old defender who spent his first four seasons in MLS with Atlanta, matched a career-high two goals this season and seven in his seven-plus year career.

Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan made a long pass and Daniel Ríos collected the ball in the attacking third and threw a pass to Luke Brennan on the right side of the box. Brennan slipped a low entry pass behind a defender to Thiago Almada, whose close-range shot was parried by Clark but Ríos was there for the return into an empty net to make it 1-1 in the 25th minute .

Xande Silva, just inside the left baseline, fired a shot that slipped under the crossbar and inside the back post to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead in the 55th minute.

Guzan stopped seven shots for Atlanta.

Steve Clark made three saves for Houston (6-6-5).

Atlanta (4-8-5) has just one win (a 3-1 loss to Inter Miami on May 29) since a 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire on March 31.

The Dynamo dominated Atlanta 19-11, 9-5 in shots on target.